1. It's intermittent. Solar energy is only available when the sun is shining.
This is partially true. Some solar energy passes through the clouds. Solar panels produce some electricity even on very cloudy days. Intermittent is what powers net-zero homes. In the winter, the solar collectors capture less energy than the home is using. In the summer, the solar collectors can produce more energy than the home uses. At the end of a year, the home produces as much energy as it uses. Net-zero is good.
Batteries store solar power. Charge up the batteries on the sunny days and use that stored energy when the sun is hard to find. Many of the urban folks that are living without the grid, cloudy days and batteries get the job done.
Tom is right, solar energy is reduced when the sun is behind a cloud or on the other side of the world. But, I hesitate to call this a disadvantage that diminishes the importance and significance of solar energy.